Glowlamp



H. C. JONES l 'May 7, 1935.

GLowLAMP Filed Dec. 22, 1931 INVENTOR. HHRRY C. JoNEs.

Patented `May 7,- 1935 GLOWLAMP Harry C. Jones, Los Angeles, Calif., asslgnor to 4Ned Herbert Mann, Hollywood, Calif.

Application December 22, 1931, Serial No. 582,524

- 1Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in glow lamps.

The general object oi.' the invention is to provide a glow lamp including a cathode and an 5 anode wherein the glow from the anode is concentrated and is arranged so that the concentrated glow is parallel to a casing covering the cathode and anode.

Another object of the invention is tc provide an l improved glow lamp including a transparent casing which has luminous gases therein and has a cathode and an anode therein with the anode in the form of a bar bent back upon itself in spaced relation in such a manner that the coronas from each leg of the anode meet intermediate the dis tance between the anode legs andV form an intensied bar of light which is parallel to a portion of the transparent casing.'

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel glow lamp comprising a transparent casing containing gases, a cathode, and an anode adapted to produce a glow which varies over a wide range of intensity with a small variation of the potential diiierence applied to the cathode and anode.

Other objects and the advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved glow lamp.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. v

Fig. 4 is a detail of the anode used in my improved device, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, I have indicated my improved glow lamp generally at I0. As shown, the'device I0 comprises a closed glass tube I2 mounted in a base I3 and secured thereto as by a suitable cement I. The tube I2 is preferably made of pyrex or quartz glass and the base is made of a suitable insulating material such as hard rubber composition, Bakelite or some similar material.

Positioned in the tube I2 I provide an anode element I5 and a cathode element it both of lwhich are preferably made of tantalum or any suitable metal.

The anode I5 is shown as in the shape of a round rod having a recess I'I therein in which is positioned a supporting wire I8 which is secured 545 to the cathode by swaging as indicated at I9.

is supported by a vacuum seal finger 2t whic.' integral with a hollow boss 3i tube IZ.

The cathode i@ is inthe shape f back upon itself to form a pair of legs if curvature at the top as indicated at Adjacent the lower end the legs 22 are welded to a supporting Wire 243 as at 25. The wire like the wire I8 is preferably made of tungsten and is supported by a vacuum seal ringer which is integral with the boss 2 i.

The anode l5 is spaced from the f; distance which in this instance is shown as about one millimeter and the cathode is spaced portion of the side wall of the tube i?? a dis' which is shown as approximately one eight.- inch. Furthermore the cathode le is positioned parallel to the adjacent tube wall and the cathode is positioned parallel to the anode.

A wire 2l connects the anode 'wire to suitable plug contact 28 provided in the base and a wire 29 connects thecathode wire Zl to similar plug contact 3E provided in the base. Si wires 2l and 29 are preferably made or D alloy and are shown as coiled around their spective coacting wires I3 and Ztl as at 3i and are welded thereto. The wires 2l and 2t? may be secured to their respective plug contacts in desired manner such as by soldering or welding. t

Before the tube I2 is sealed it is evacuated and then filled with a gas mixture, preferably such as a mixture of neon and argon gases.

In operation the anode I5 is adapted to ce connected through the medium of the contact plu-A 28 and the wires 2l and I8 to the positive side or a source of electrical energy and the cathode adapted to be connected through the rr,- of the contact plug 3G and the wires to the negative side of the electrical poten When electrical current is delivered to the eiements I5 and I5 a corona is formed around of the legs 22 of the cathode it as indicated by the dotted lines 32 in Fig. 5. The distance be(-A tween the legs 22 is such that the coronas from the legs meet intermediate the distance between the legs and form a concentrated light glo" in the form of a thin bar parallel to the legs 22E. in certain instances of operation, as the normal applied potential is decreased the glows 3?. about the legs 22 recede so that the two glows fail to meet and no concentrated light glow is formed. Upon further reduction of potential all glow about 'the cathode I6 will cease. When the normal poten1 the light glow thus formed between the legs of they anode passes through the tube I2 in practically av thin straight line as indicated by the dotted line 33 in Fig. 5. By arranging the portion of the tube I2 which is adjacent the elements I5 and I6 parallel to the elements and also parallel to the combined glow 33 caused by these elements, the refractive and dispersive effect of the tubingis reduced to a minimum allowing the glow to be focused more accurately and allowing certain portions of the glow to be selected for focussing.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have provided an improved glow lamp which is of novel construction and is highly efcient in use.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In a glow lamp a hollow closed transparent member, a cathode in said member, said cathode comprising a fiat strip of material bent to U- shape to provide two spaced leg portions, and an anode, said anode comprising a straight elongated member cylindrical in cross-section and arranged parallel to and equidistant from the leg portions of the cathode member.

f HARRY C. JONES.

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